


The Vampire's Night

by AliceMontrose



Series: Laures verse [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Dubious Consent, Fantasy, M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 17:06:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2589458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMontrose/pseuds/AliceMontrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sequel to Stranger in the Night. Duke Janis of Aenix simply won't give up, so Laures decides to give him a taste of what happens when you defy a vampire's wishes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Vampire's Night

**Author's Note:**

> Updated: September 2004. This story is ON HOLD and will not be continued for the moment.

Duke Janis of Aenix was extremely angry. He paced in his bedroom restlessly, still holding the reports he had just received that afternoon. 

From a dozen search parties he had sent to find Laures, only one had returned, and even that one with no results. Four others had been found cruelly slaughtered by highwaymen - or so the reports said. As for what had happened to the other seven, only the Goddess knew. 

He recalled Tremaine, just before the troops had left, telling him about the warning that the woman - Laures' companion - had given them that night at the inn. He remembered Laures' own warning the following morning. He had ignored both, of course. It was a stupid thing - nothing and no one would be able to escape him. 

Or so he had thought. 

Rage flowed through him, making his blood burn. He crushed a couple of vases and statuettes while he kept pacing angrily, wearing a pattern in the thick rug that covered the floor. He hadn't even bothered to light the candles when night had come - he knew the layout of his private rooms by heart. 

Laures, Laures, Laures... It was the only thing on his mind. He had never failed to gain possession of the things or persons he coveted. He had never been outsmarted by anyone. _Anyone_! 

Not until now. Not until the man - or man-like creature - had crossed his way. 

"Damn you to Hell!" he shouted as he threw the porcelain vase - a precious antique he had spent a little fortune on - and saw it turn to pieces upon impact with the marble fireplace. 

It did not matter. None of it mattered anymore. 

Cold air suddenly streamed into the room, though he could not remember opening - or breaking - any of the window-doors that led on the small porch. Fine lace drapes floated on the air currents, ghost-like appearances. He would have found their movements fascinating, once - now he loathed them. 

"I hate you!" he screamed again, throwing the first thing he could reach outside the window. 

It was a heavy candle-holder that should have fallen and crush in the small pool outside. Only it did not; it stopped in mid-air in front of his eyes. It floated in darkness for a moment, before a dark hand reached out and wrapped itself around its base. The silver object was lowered on the stone surface, and Janis could vaguely see the dark shape that had done this movement, camouflaged by the night's darkness. 

No moon that night, so much he knew. And heavy clouds masked the star-lit sky. Total darkness, and yet he could still see the shape moving outside the window, coming closer. 

He should have been terrified. He _would_ have been. But now he was too angry to care. 

"Show yourself!" he challenged the night, drawing out his sword. 

A soft laughter replied, and there was something familiar about it the duke could not identify. Then the candles flared. One by one, although there was no one there to do this task - they just lit themselves. The laughter continued, a little louder but remaining indulgent. And then the intruder stepped inside the room, body hidden by a long black cloak, the hood shadowing its face completely. 

Still, Janis stiffened. He _knew_ who his mysterious visitor was. There was no mistaking that stature, that grace, that bearing... 

" _You!_ " 

Gloved hands reached out to remove the hood. Black hair cascaded down wool-clad shoulders, dark eyes and pale skin glittering in the warm light. 

Janis' rage flared again. "What have you done to my men?" he demanded. 

The same chuckle, as petal-perfect lips curled in a mischievous smile. But no answers came. 

Janis attacked. Not caring about anything anymore, he rushed forward to kill the man, sword raised above his head in challenge. 

His opponent did not even flinch as he threw himself upon him. And then the duke's hand was suddenly caught in an iron grip, not much different from the one he had experienced less than two months ago. His sword fell on the floor with a muffled thump, as another leather-clad hand closed upon his mouth to silence any cry of help he might have voiced. 

The chill of the man's breath ran over the sensitive skin of Janis' neck, cold as winter air, making his skin crawl. "I told you to avoid angering me, Your Excellency. You should have heeded my warning." 

Janis was forced to take a few steps forward, and when he failed to comply and struggled in his captor's arms he was thrown on the floor at the feet of his bed. 

Dazed, he looked up and cold eyes meet his. The man spoke again, his voice silent yet powerful enough to make the duke shiver. "One scream from you and I'll kill you without a second thought." 

Not even the Lord Protector of Terlandia had such an effect on him, and the Gods only knew he was a cruel and sadistic bastard. All the things Laures had not seemed to be, in fact. Had he misjudged the beautiful man? 

Janis finally found his voice. "What in the four hells are you doing in my palace? How did you get in here?" 

He made to get up the floor, but the dark eyes pinned him into place as Laures ordered, "Stay there!" The man took a few steps forward, his considerable height making him tower over Janis easily. One hand came down to pull the nobleman up by the front of his jacket and unceremoniously deposit him on the bed in a sitting position. 

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?" Laures demanded, snatching the papers the duke still held in his left hand. He spared one glance for each sheet and tossed them over his shoulder. 

The nobleman managed to regain some of his composure. "What do you want from me?" 

"Insolent human! You actually have the guts to ask that?!" Laures' eyes changed into burning flames for just an instant, then swirled back to their regular colour. He drew a deep breath. "All that I want - all that I ever wanted, in fact - is to be left alone. And I believe you did exactly the opposite, my dear duke." Again he reached out, his hands closing on Janis' neck, drawing the air out of his lungs. His body was pushed down on the bed's mattress effortlessly. "And now you have to suffer the consequences of your actions." 

His grip became tighter, and for one instant Janis thought he would really die strangled. He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but the only sound that came out was a stifled and pathetic "Stop..." 

Laures grinned at that, but he did relax his grip. He leaned over the bed, a silhouette draped in black, arrived from the Shadow Realm with his own vengeance. "You want me to spare your life? Give me one good reason why I should. You chased me like an animal; you sent your minions to capture me and get me back here, at a whim. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get rid of persistent trackers?" 

Janis' eyes widened. "There were no highwaymen. _You_ killed them, didn't you?" 

Again a grin, wider this time. "I protected my own and my keep. But it was you who killed them, not I. Because they were acting _under your command_." He placed one knee on the edge of the bed, and leaned over to capture the duke's shoulder in a steel grip. Cold metal flashed and a dagger was placed at his throat, close enough to feel its blade slicing the skin. "And the only way to get rid of hunters for good is getting rid of their leader. I am still waiting for that motivation for your actions, by the way. And I suggest you make it a good one." 

The words slowly began to sink into Janis' mind. He had ordered those men to death by sending them after Laures unprepared. He had had no idea of the man's potential, though he should have guessed some of it from the way he had dispatched of those demon creatures. He should have guessed this prey was not going to be a normal one. There were forces at work here he could not comprehend. 

Yet he had coveted Laures. He had obsessed about him to no end, imagined how it would be like to have him at his mercy. What he would do and how much pleasure that would offer him. 

His words came out miraculously, though he was trembling with fear. The duke was not one to lie about serious issues; and if that would mean he had signed his death warrant, so be it. 

"I wanted you." He swallowed. "I do not expect you to understand, but I _wanted_ you. Badly enough to risk getting killed." 

He closed his eyes, expecting his throat to be slit open, pain and the feeling of blood flowing free from his body engulfing him. His mind whispered a prayer to the Goddess Selena, that his death would be quick. 

All of a sudden, he was released to fall on the bed again. The rustling of cloth told him that his assailant had let go and stepped away from the bed. "I do understand," came Laures' whispered words. "Better than you can imagine." 

Janis' eyes crept open in time to watch Laures step further back, towards the opened window. "Keep your men away from me, and I will not bother you again." 

Now the duke was confused. "But... did you not want to kill me?" 

"Forget you ever saw me, Your Excellency. It is the better thing for both of us." 

Did that mean that he was allowed to live? He was confused. Laures had nearly killed him, and now he backed away as if burned. 

And he could still have him, right? They were both in _his_ palace - in his bedroom, no less! If he could only convince Laures to stay, somehow, he would get another chance. He could try a different strategy. Forget the search parties; they had been of no real use... except of leading his quarry right into his den. 

Janis jumped up from the bed and rushed forward to get hold of the man before it was too late. "Wait! You can't come here, threaten to kill me and then disappear! It would be... an offence to my hospitality!" 

Laures did turn, a little puzzled. He fastidiously pushed away the hand that rested on his shoulder. "I am not here to enjoy your hospitality, milord. I only came to make sure you understood my intentions were serious. Keep your men away from me, or I _will_ kill you." 

"But you travelled all this way..." 

Laures' eyes narrowed. "Your tricks do not work on me," he cautioned. "Now I know how your mind works." 

Janis flinched; what had Laures discovered? 

"I would still like you to stay. I won't try anything, I promise. I only want to talk to you." 

This time, the man smiled indulgently. "You know, I spoke the exact same words hundreds of times. They were never true. It always came to more." He studied the duke for a little while, but finally stepped away from the porch. The window closed behind him instantly, the wind-blown curtains falling back into their normal place. 

Laures sat down in a chair near the fireplace, never taking his eyes off Janis. "You wanted to talk. So _talk_." 

Not having gotten completely over the surprise of actually having him stay, the duke reached out to touch his neck. The superficial cut had stopped bleeding, but now red liquid tainted his fingers. He looked at it glitter in the candlelight, and then carefully raised his hand to his mouth to taste it. He had never gotten the opportunity to taste human blood, let alone his own. 

A gasp came from his uninvited guest, and his hand was slapped away suddenly. Laures had moved fast, too fast perhaps, and was now at Janis' side. His eyes had begun to change colours again. 

"Don't _ever_ do that in my presence," he warned, sudden hunger in his low voice. 

"Why?" the nobleman asked. "It's just blood." 

"Yes." There was a sudden charge of electricity between them, as Laures reached out to lift Janis' hand to his own lips. He sniffed at the stained fingers, his hand trembling as it held on to the other man's forearm. Then, with narrowed eyes, he opened his mouth, and his tongue darted forward. He lapped at one finger and then the other, the ruby liquid attracting him like a flame would attract a moth. 

The brief contact made Janis' heart race. He mastered the situation, he assured himself. He had found a way to draw the beautiful man to him. Although it was a ghastly thought, that his _blood_ would actually make a difference. Laures hunted vampires; he was not one himself... was he? 

He stood there speechless, until the dark head lifted and the faintly-glowing eyes sought his face. Laures let go and took a step back, only to find the duke follow him. 

"You are playing with fire," he warned. 

"I like getting burned," Janis assured him. 

A startled laugh escaped his visitor's lips. " _That_ I do not doubt." He stopped and eyed the duke suspiciously. "You remind me of myself when I was younger. _Much_ younger," he added. 

"I am older than you are," the nobleman told him, reaching out one hand to touch the shining dark hair spilling down Laures' shoulders. He met no resistance, and he curled the locks around his fingers, moving even closer. 

Laures simply looked at him with faint amusement in his eyes. "You have no idea what you are talking about, Your Excellency." 

The nobleman was annoyed. "Please. My name is Janis." 

"I know. But that doesn't change anything." 

"You're right. I still want you." 

A soft snicker. "I believe the feeling is somewhat mutual, this time. However, there is a problem." 

They were mere inches apart now, and the duke could feel Laures' coldness meeting his own warmth, the chill breath mingling with his warm whisper as he brushed his lips over smooth skin. "What problem?" 

His guest did not try to pull away, but he did not encourage him either. "We are too much alike, you and I." 

"I don't see your point." 

"My point is," Laures said gripping his upper arms and violently pushing him away, "that you have no idea what you're getting yourself into, and you might regret this later." 

He met the dark eyes without flinching. "I will never regret this." Not finally having Laures all for himself. Not having conquered the unapproachable beauty... 

"You are not _listening_!" The raven-haired man shook him a little. "I won't let you have me. _I_ shall be the one to have _you_." 

"What?! You... You're joking, surely!" 

Laures' lips curled in a devilish grin. "You heard me correctly." 

"But I will never..." 

"Submit? Oh, but you will. Unless you want me to walk out of here right now. There is always that alternative. Your choice, milord." 

Now he was truly raging mad. He would never give himself to anyone! 

"I will not be used as a common whore!" he snarled at his midnight visitor, more than a little outraged. 

"Oh. You mean, not like all those you have violated so far? Very well, then." Laures suddenly caught hold of the duke's wrist, pulling him close so that their bodies were practically slammed together. His other hand encircled Janis' waist in a tight hold; the nobleman suddenly realized that he was standing on tiptoes, his body stretched so that his eyes would be at the same level as Laures' eyes. The man - creature, demon, personal nemesis - still smiled cruelly at him, the powerful grip apparently meaning nothing spectacular to him. Where did this strength come from, when Laures was thin and apparently so easily breakable? What made this man so resistant to all things, and gave him such capacity to fight vicious demons twice his size without a sign of exhaustion or repulsion? 

"Let go of me!" Janis demanded, wincing as pain laced through his wrist and up his arm. 

Laures smiled. "Beg me to do it." 

_Beg!?_ There was no way he would do that. "Never!" 

The grip tightened a little, and a small cry of pain escaped the duke's lips. "One word, Your Excellency. Surely it cannot be that hard to say it." The man leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "One word, and the pain stops." 

Janis shivered. One word? What could it mean? 

It meant submission. And to him, that had grown up to command, to be the one in charge, it meant the destruction of his whole world, a flip of coin changing his place just like that. 

Laures took a few steps pushing his captive along like he weighted nothing at all. Janis' knees hit the bed's frame and he went down, raven-haired Laures following him until his weight was lying on top of the duke. He nibbled at the exposed throat, licking the fading mark his dagger had left on the fine skin. The smell of blood was driving him wild - he had not come here for this! But it had been so long... too long... 

He still had the nobleman's wrist in his grip; he forced the man's hand above his head, and it was swiftly joined by the other. Laures kept them there as he felt the man struggling under him. "One word, Duke of Aenix. One word and I release you. One word is your salvation. It means a lot for one as proud as you are, surely. But it means even more to me." 

His left hand pressed the wrists in the mattress as he used his right to pull away the sash around the duke's waist. He threw it out of the way - there was no need for it. He continued kissing the man's neck hungrily. Yes, that night would be his to savour. Mentally he forced the door to lock and the bolt to fall into place. No one would disturb his little feast. 

Meanwhile the Duke of Aenix was still trying to figure a way out of this, his pride too great to allow him such surrender. He had been the hunter - now he was to be the prey. But he had never begged in his life, and could not bring himself to do it now. 

Laures had managed to get rid of the blond's jacket and shirt in no time, and was fingering a heavy gold medallion that fell on the naked chest. He pushed one knee between Janis' legs and applied slight pressure. A sharp cry escaped the duke, and the midnight visitor took his chance to devour those lips before his victim realized what was happening. He bit Janis' lower lip playfully, pushing his tongue inside the warm mouth. He craved that heat the human was emanating, wanted to be enveloped by it wholly. 

It would be a lovely reward after all this man had put him through in the past few months. He had been forced to flee city after city, leaving Angelina on her own for the first time in he could not remember how long. He had fled to his forest, to face his pursuers on his own territory. He had taken some of those men out effortlessly, but others had been a little difficult to get rid of. He had sworn he would put a stop to it, one way or the other. 

And now the Duke of Aenix was at his mercy, and he would enjoy his revenge. 

"Do you fear me, Your Excellency? Do you see there is no way out of this now?" he said, tightening his grip and pushing his knee harder on the man's groin, swallowing the duke's cries and protests. Then he relaxed both holds and kissed the man's brow lightly. "I shall have you tonight, little human. One way or the other - you cannot escape me. Make your choice swiftly." 

"I hate you!" the duke spat quickly, but his face filled with fear as he saw the faint glow already setting Laures' eyes on fire. Not human, not in a million seasons! What had he gotten himself into? 

"Do you now?" came the passive answer, Laures' voice low and husky. "Should I tie you up and use you as a common whore? Do you wish for pain instead of pleasure?" 

"You can give me no pleasure! You are not even human!" 

Laures chuckled darkly, and raised a dark brow. "Oh. But you thought I could, until a few minutes ago. Have you forgotten that? Well, you are right about one thing, at least. I never _was_ human. However, that does not prevent me from acting like one - or from taking you tonight." Night-black strands caressed Janis' chest and face as he bent down to whisper in his ear again, "I want to be inside you." 

The duke's body trembled, but he could not decide whether it was in fear or desire or both. He clenched his teeth not to moan at the slight nibbling at his ear. He felt warmth spreading through his lower abdomen and straight down into his groin. Laures' weight on him and his struggles to rid of it did not help either, as the man, creature, or whatever he was ran the tip of his tongue inside Janis' ear shell, his right arm travelling up and down his side, setting his body on fire. 

Finally he allowed himself a muffled groan as Laures released his arms and rose to straddle his legs. The duke's mind barely registered that his hands had finally been released. 

Dark eyes looked at him in anticipation as Laures was content to be still for a few moments. "One last chance, Your Excellency. What will it be?" 

Janis gathered his strength, and suddenly lashed out to grip Laures' neck. Unfortunately, his hands ended up limp at his side before he could use them, and he was thrown back against the mattress without a second thought. 

"You want to play rough then. Alright; it suits me just fine. Whore," Laures whispered that last insult darkly as his teeth flashed, canines suddenly longer than normal. Janis was sure they had not been there before - and that he had glimpsed them at the inn two months before. 

But danger was lurking over him now, and strangely this aroused him even more. As Laures trailed a sharp fingernail over Janis' chest - though the duke could not remember when he had removed his leather tunic and gloves - his body arched up, thousands of little sparks of pleasure interlaced with pain jolting through him as the beautiful hunter lapped at the thin blood line that oozed from the mark left on Janis' chest. The cold tongue made the blond seethe and his hands suddenly regained their ability to move. He tangled them in raven hair and pressed Laures' head down. 

His hold did nothing to restrain Laures. However, there was no mistaking the humour in his eyes as he pulled back. Janis' face was flushed and his pupils dilated, his body getting warmer with each new touch. A marble hand reached out to brush some of the blonde hair away from the duke's face; Laures could not repress another chuckle. "You finally made up your mind, I see." 

"Yes," the duke replied, his eyes lowered as he looked away, surprisingly ashamed. 

Laures turned the duke's face back on him, his grin softening into a gentle smile. "Do you fear me, Your Excellency?" 

"Yes." 

He nodded faintly. "As you should. But tonight you are my lover - I will not hurt you. Not too much, anyway. Do you want what I offer?" 

"Yes. Please," the duke murmured. 

* * *

**~ On Hold ~**  


* * *


End file.
